Automatic pneumatic musical instrument.



R. J. BENNETT. AUTOMATIC PNEUMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 11, 1911.

Patented Aug. 18, 1914.

WM fiaigeri' JEpJZ/JW THE AORRIS PETERS 60., PHOm=LITHOQ WASHINGTON. r). C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT J. BENNETT, OF MOLINE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ARTISTA PIANO PLAYER COMPANY, OF MILAN, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC PNEUMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Original application filed May 3, 1910, Serial No. 559,181.

Serial No. 648,663.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT J. BENNETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Moline, in the county of Rock Island and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Pneumatic Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This application is a division of my application Serial Number 559,181, filed in the United States Patent Ofiice on or about May 3rd, 1910.

The invention relates to that class of pneumatic musical instruments in which the piano action or other part of any other musical instrument to be operated, receives its action from what is known in the art as a power pneumatic, under the control of a music sheet or record determining at what period the power pneumatic becomes effective, and the invention has for one of its objects to provide an improved simplified form of power pneumatic capable of being readily adjusted and applied to the action of a musical instrument, and having means whereby an elastic connection may be obtained between the power pneumatic and the piano action or the part to be actuated by the pneumatic.

A further object is to provide an improved device of this class embodying means whereby the parts comprising the elastic connection between the pneumatic and the part operated thereby, may be adjusted laterally, so that the pneumatic may be properly arranged regardless of the shoulder or projection on the part to be actuated.

To the attainment of these ends, and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects, as will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty in substantially the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawing illustrating the invention, and in which Figure 1 is a vertical cross section of a wind chest showing a pneumatic applied to an ordinary piano action, as an example of a musical instrument to be operated there by; Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view on line 2-2 Fig. 1 showing the elastic connection between the power pneumatic and the piano sticker; Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view on line 33 Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing and in the present exemplification of the invention, the numeral 10 designates the wind chest, 11 the power pneumatic embodying the movable member 12, and 13 is the primary pneumatic for controlling the action of the power pneumatic, and which primary pneumatic is in turn controlled by the record sheet passing over a tracker board in the ordinary and well known manner.

The sticker of the piano or musical instrument is designated generally by the reference numeral 14, and this sticker is onerated mechanically by the piano key 15 in the usual manner.

Supported by the sticker 14 is an arm or bracket 16, of any ordinary and well known construction, and is secured to the sticker in any desired or suitable manner. Supported by this bracket 16 is an arm 17, constructed of any suitable material, and is se cured to the bracket by means of a fastening device 18, such as a screw or the like.

Supported by the movable member 12 of the power pneumatic 11 is an elastic arm 19, preferably in the form of a leaf spring, one end of which is secured as at 20 to the member 12, and the other extremity 21 is free of and spaced from the face of the movable member 12. This end of the elastic member is support-ed by means of a nut or collar 22, adjustably mounted in a screw 23, supported by the movable member 12, and by adjusting this nut or collar 21 on the screw 23, the free extremity 21 of the elastic member 19 may be moved toward or away from the face of the movable member 12. The point of engagement of the elastic member 19 or the free extremity 21 thereof, is enlarged laterally with respect to the end of the arm 17, and with which enlarged pertion the free extremity of the arm has engagement.

If desired a cushioning device 2 1 provided on the end of the arm 17.

The arm 17 is adapted to be adjusted laterally with respect to the elastic member 19, and about its point of connection 18 with the bracket 16, and when in its adjusted position may be thus secured by tightening the fastening device 18, and also by means of any suitable adhesive material 2 5, such as shellac, or the like.

In devices of this character it is necessary that the pneumatic be properly positioned so that the openings in the primary pneumatics will register with the openings in the wind chest. In order, therefore, to permit this pneumatic to be properly arranged regardless of the arm 17 or projection on the sticker 14, and at the same time provide means whereby the arm may be adjusted so t .at they will engage the elastic members 19, the arm 17 is adapted to be laterally moved about the fastening device 18 as a pivot, and when properly adjusted is secured in its adjusted position in the manner set forth. It will thus be manifest that any number of these pneumatics may be assembled and secured in position regardless of their position with respect to the sticker, and after being connected with the wind chest, the arms or levers 17 may be adjusted laterally so that the interengaging means constituting the elastic connection between the pneumatic and the sticker may be properly positioned with respect to each other. The cushioning device 1 1- is provided as a means for deadening the sound between the parts in the event that the extremity of the elastic member 19 drops away from the extremity of the arm 17.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In an apparatus for the purpose described, the combination of a power pneumatic embodying a pivoted movable member, a device to be actuated separate from the pneumatic, and inter-engaging means carried respectively by thesaid device and the movable member, whereby the device may be actuated by the pneumatic, one of the said means being elastic, one of the said means being adjustable laterally with respect to the other to adapt it to the particular relative position in which said pneumatic and said. movable member happen to be placed, and means for securing the adjustable one of the said members in its adjusted position.

2. In an apparatus for the purpose described, the combination of a power pneumatic embodying a pivoted movable element, a device to be actuated, separate from the pneumatic, and inter-engaging means may be carried respectively by the said device, and a movable element whereby the device may be actuated by the pneumatic, one of said means being elastic, and the other of said means being a rigid member adjustable laterally with respect to said elastic means, the point of engagement of said rigid member with the elastic means being enlarged laterally to allow for its adjustment without disturbing its efiective relation to said elastic means.

3. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a piano action member adapted to be actuated, a pneumatic having a movable member, a rigid arm out standing from said member to be actuated and arranged to be adjustable in a horizontal plane, and a resilient arm secured at one end to the movable member of said pneumatic and having its other end in separable engagement with the free end of said rigid arm.

4:. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a piano action member adapted to be actuated, a pneumatic having a movable member, a rigid arm outstanding from said member to be actuated and arranged to be adjustable in a horizontal plane, a resilient arm secured at one end to the movable member of said pneumatic and having its other end in separable engage ment with the free end of said rigid arm, the engaging end or" the resilient member being broadened to adapt it to the adjustability of the rigid arm.

5. The combination of a pneumatic having a movable member, a resilient arm secured at one end thereto and having its other end broadened, a piano action having a member to be operated in a vertical direction, and a horizontally adjustable arm outstanding from said member to be actuated and having its free end in engagement with the broadened end of said resilient arm.

6. The combination or" a pneumatic having a movable member, a resilient arm secured at one end thereto and having its other end broadened, a piano action having a member to be operated in a vertical direction, a horizontally adjustable arm outstanding from said member to be actuated and having its free end in engagement with the broadened end of said resilient arm, and means for adjusting said resilient arn 7. The combination of a substantially horizontally disposed pneumatic having a movable member, a resilient arm secured at one end to said movable member and having its other end broadened and spaced from said. movable member, a vertically disposed.

device adjacent said pneumatic and adapted to be actuated in a vertical direction, and a horizontally ad ustable arm rigidly outstanding from said vertical device and proname to this specification, in the presence of jecting substantially under said pneumatic two subscribing witnesses, on this 7 day of and having its free end arranged to rest Sept. A. D. 1911.

upon the broadened end of said resilient ROBERT J. BENNETT. 5 arm in Whatever position said rigid arm is Witnesses:

adjusted. WM. H. COLLINS,

In testimony whereof I have signed my WM. E. THOMPSON.

copies of thin patent my be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the commissioner of Il-tentl. Wuhlngton, D. 0." 

